6 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
May 2013
Design Commission considers plans for 200-unit building in South Waterfront
SOUTH PORTLAND
NOTEBOOK
By Lee Perlman
The Southwest Portland Post
The Portland Design Commission
last month had its second hearing
on a proposed development on
the South Waterfront’s Block 43,
bounded by Southwest Abernethy
and Lane streets and Moody and
Bond avenues.
Here Wade Johns of Dallas, Texas,
plans to build a six-story, 200-unit
building.
The structure will include 199
parking spaces and storage for 304
bikes.
It will also have club and fitness
rooms, an interior courtyard with
a fire pit and water feature, a roof
deck, and 1500 square feet of retail
facing Bond.
Architect David Hensley said
that spaces facing Moody, which
are now designated for the fitness
and club rooms, could be converted
to retail when there is a stronger
market for this, and the resident
facilities moved elsewhere.
At a previous session Commission
members called on the design team
to simplify its palette of materials
and colors.
Last month they made clear the
team did not go far enough; they
were particularly unhappy with the
use of hardi-plank, and suggested
they stick to concrete, stucco and
brick.
“There are many strong build-
ings that use one material, at most
two,” Commission member David
Keltner said.
Commission members also called
for a clearly-designated main en-
trance, and for use of front stoops
instead of thin landscaped buffers
facing the street. “Dogs will go to
the bathroom on it, and it will all
die anyway,” Commission member
Jane Hanson said.
Commission chair Gwen Mil-
lius questioned plans to have bikes
stored in the living units. “It’s true
people get a little precious about
their bikes, but taking it across the
hall carpet will be a bummer unless
the carpet is charcoal gray,” she said.
Several Commission members
pointedly said the design team
shouldn’t use their nearest neighbor,
the Matisse, as a positive model. “It
must have been really late at night
when we approved that,” Millius
said.
The project will have another
hearing the afternoon of May 16 at
1900 S.W. Fourth Ave.
Although Vincent submitted the
proposal in early April, at press
time City of Portland staff had yet
to declare it “complete” and ready
for review.
THE COUNTRY STORE
Riversgate Church
Plans revised for Lair Hill
condominium development
Bruce Vincent of Consolidated
Land and Cattle presented revised
plans in April for five housing units
at 3314 S.W. First Ave., in Lair Hill,
and South Portland Neighborhood
Association land use chair Jim
Gardner pronounced them a “vast
improvement” over the original
design.
Instead of row houses, the units
are now consolidated into two
structures containing three and two
units, rather than “one continuous
wall,” Gardner said.
The site was last occupied by a 19 th
century building that was initially
a church and was last home to the
Great Northwest Bookstore before
being destroyed by fire in 2010.
(Continued from Page 6)
team to finalize the remodeling so
we’d like input as soon as possible,”
stated Golden.
Golden asked that readers email
suggestions to ian@saltworthyrealty.
com or jeff@riversgate.net.
Editor ’s Note: These Southwest
Portland restaurants will include a
“Dine Around Town” buck slip with
the bill during the month of May so
patrons can make a donation to Meals
on Wheels People: Seasons and Re-
gions, 6660 SW Capitol Hwy; Marco’s
Café, 7910 SW 35th Ave; and Salvador
Molly’s, 1523 SW Sunset Blvd.
What’s happening at your place of
business? Email business news, tips and
suggestions for “The Country Store” to
news@multnomahpost.com, fax 866-
727-5336 or call 503-244-6933. Write
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Excellent SW Portland references